What's Eating Gilbert Grape - Leo's Fearless Performance

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a movie from 1993 that more often than not, comes off like a cheesy 90s teen drama. But for me, especially growing up, this was the most important movie in my life. That's because one of my siblings has a nearly identical neurological condition that Arnie has. In nearly every way, they behave the same. It's ridiculous.

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I know representation comes up a lot, but having something like this in your family is so isolating. Your family becomes a freak show for people to gawk at. This was the first time in my life that I felt that fiction was fully representing my lived experience.

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Crazy! It couldn't have happened if Leo wasn't fearless. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to turn in that kind of performance without flinching. It's also clear to me that this couldn't happen today. That makes me sad. In a lot of ways, I get it.

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Regardless, I think about this movie all the time and I throw it on when I'm in the mood to cry. If you haven't seen it, please watch it and think about all the complicated, fucked up, and beautiful lives of the people struggling around you.

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This post has absolutely no real purpose. I am drunk. Thank.

Submitted August 31, 2020 at 02:26PM by Crab_Fingers https://ift.tt/2Dd79dY